An unusually big number of commuters stand shoulder-to-shoulder while waiting for their train ride at the Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3 station on Taft Avenue and Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) in Pasay City on Thursday morning (March 27, 2014). The commuters, coming from as far as Cavite, are bound for their places of work in Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, San Juan and Quezon City. (MNS photo)

MANILA (Mabuhay) — From busted elevators to non-functioning ticket vending machines, more defects on its trains, stations and equipment have been recorded by the MRT-3 management this year compared to last.

In his report submitted to the Senate committee on public services during a hearing on Monday, MRT-3 operations director Renato San Jose said that as of July 2014, the average loops of trains decreased to 6,338 per month from 6,488 per month in 2013.

The decrease was recorded as the average number of passengers continues to increase, with more than half a million people boarding it every day.

Meanwhile, an average of four service interruptions per month was recorded as of July 2014, an increase from 2.83 per month in 2013.

As of August 29, 60 of 73 coaches were operational, all of them required to operate during peak hours, San Jose said.

Regarding other equipment, San Jose said that none of the ticket vending machines are functioning.

As of the end of July, 204 instances of elevator defects have been recorded, with 23 of 34 elevators operational, he said. For escalators, 36 of 46 units are functioning.

The condition of the MRT is currenly under scrutiny particularly after August 13, when a defective coach went out of control and crashed into the Taft station barrier, leaving some 38 people—both passengers and pedestrians—injured.